25th March 2016

School Best Practices & AcSEED Assessment Criteria

The AcSEED Initiative collates experiences from young people, parents/guardians, and teachers/schools, and from this identifies best practices that form a minimum level of support that AcSEED recommends all schools to adopt. Whilst the implementation of support will be tailored to the specific needs of each school, the framework of best practices provides the baseline criteria used for accrediting schools with The AcSEED Award.

We are always interested to receive further suggestions for best practices in emotional wellbeing. All suggestions will be shared through the AcSEED website, and may be reviewed for inclusion in the assessment criteria for The AcSEED Award. Please send us your suggestions.

The AcSEED Award encourages schools to adopt best practices based on the following criteria:

Key Area

Best Practices

Advanced Practices

Leadership, Management and Managing Change

The Senior Management Team acknowledges the importance of emotional wellbeing, and has appropriate organisational structures and responsibilities defined.

There is a named member of the Senior Management Team with overall responsibility for emotional wellbeing.

There is a named member of staff with specific training and responsibility for co-ordinating emotional wellbeing procedures and services.

Emotional wellbeing provisions are regularly reviewed and improved through the School Development Plan.

School Governors play an active role in setting the emotional wellbeing strategy, and are regularly informed about status and progress.

Policy and Procedure

The school has policies and procedures in place that actively support and promote student emotional wellbeing.

All school staff and Governors are aware of the school's emotional wellbeing policies.

Students and parents are informed about behaviours expected from them in order to comply with school policies and procedures.

School staff and Governors play an active role in reviewing and approving emotional wellbeing policies.

Emotional wellbeing policies are actively deployed and monitored, with appropriate actions taken when breached.

The school has specific processes to support students that have long term mental health conditions.

Emotional Wellbeing Education

The school has a specific learning programme and lesson plans to educate students in emotional wellbeing, and to highlight specific actions and behaviours that will help to keep them emotionally fit.

All students are informed about the school's emotional support services, how to access them, and who they can talk to about any emotional concerns they have.

The education programme is regularly reviewed and continually developed.

The school seeks opportunities to enhance student understanding of emotional wellbeing through work with external individuals, groups and agencies.

There is specific attention towards helping students recognise and challenge mental health stigma, and to understand the nature and impact of associated discrimination.

The Environment

Emotional wellbeing is strongly embedded into the school ethos.

Students are actively encouraged to form and maintain healthy relationships, and receive guidance on developing empathy and interpersonal skills.

The school provides information on emotional wellbeing and associated support services that is easily and discretely accessible to all students.

Quiet areas are available for students to take 'time out'.

Participation

The school has a pro-active participation scheme giving students and parents a regular voice to influence and shape emotional wellbeing services.

Feedback from staff, students, and parents, is regularly gathered and analysed to monitor the effectiveness of emotional wellbeing support, and to identify improvements.

Emotional Wellbeing Services

The school has a structured pastoral system with designated staff responsible for student wellbeing.

The school employs (or has regular access to) a counsellor or mental health professional, and a defined referral process.

The school employs one or more ELSA.

The school has a room that is allocated for counselling.

The school has a self-referral process to access the councillor or mental health professional.

The school provides a peer mentoring scheme.

The school has a dedicated counselling room that is discretely located.

The school has specific provisions to support students that have long term mental health conditions.

Staff Training

All teaching staff receive training to establish a common understanding of emotional wellbeing, and recognise it's relationship to learning.

All teaching staff are trained to recognise signs commonly associated with emotional problems, and how to support (potentially through referral) emotionally vulnerable students or those in crisis.

Teacher training on emotional wellbeing should be regularly reviewed and updated.

All teaching staff should receive regular refresher and update training on emotional wellbeing.

At least one member of staff should receive in-depth training on emotional wellbeing and mental health support, keep abreast of the latest trends, and be available to advise other staff as/when needed.

Working with Parents

The school informs parents of emotional wellbeing policies, procedures, and services.

The school encourages parents to gain a wider understanding of emotional wellbeing and mental health, and measures they can take to support their children outside the school context.

Working with Outside Agencies

All teachers are aware of which members of staff can refer students to external agencies including CAMHS.

The school maintains close communication with external agencies to understand how they can support a student's care plan.

The school meets regularly with external agencies to review their working relationship and procedures.